Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zesty Yovictoria’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zesty Yovictoria’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; light red purple-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in late September in the North Hemisphere.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Zesty Yovictoria.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zesty Yovictoria’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yovictoria, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,799. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Yovictoria in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive ray floret color and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Zesty Yovictoria has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zesty Yovictoria’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zesty Yovictoria’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.

3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.

4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets.

5. Light red purple-colored ray florets.

6. Natural season flowering in late September in the Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yovictoria, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Yovictoria had lavender-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered a couple of days later than plants of the cultivar Yovictoria when grown under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Rosy Yovictoria, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application filed concurrently, primarily in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Zesty Megan, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,307. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Zesty Megan in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Zesty Megan.

2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum did not have disc florets whereas inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Zesty Megan had disc florets.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered a couple days earlier than plants of the cultivar Zesty Megan when grown under natural season conditions.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Lovebird, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,301. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Lovebird in the following characteristics:

1. Plant growth habit of plants of the new Chrysanthemum was more uniform than plant growth habit of plants of the cultivar Lovebird.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than plants of the cultivar Lovebird.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Lovebird.

4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly lighter colored ray florets than plants of the cultivar Lovebird.

5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum did not fade as readily as ray florets of plants of the cultivar Lovebird.

6. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about five days earlier than plants of the cultivar Lovebird when grown under natural season conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zesty Yovictoria’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Zesty Yovictoria’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Alva, Fla. during the winter in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in early December, 2002. Plants were pinched one time, that is, the terminal apex was removed to enhance branching, at the end of December. One week after the pinch, plants were exposed to short day/long night photoperiodic treatments until flowering. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 26° C. and night averaged 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Zesty Yovictoria.

Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yovictoria, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,799.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days at 21° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then somewhat outwardly spreading; compact growth habit. Freely branching with lateral branches potentially forming at every node. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 19.5 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 24.5 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 16.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 9 mm. Aspect: Upright and outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.

Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 4.8 cm. Width: About 4.2 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper surface: 147A. Venation, lower surface: 147B. Petiole length: About 1.4 cm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole color, upper surface: 147A to 147B. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. About 12 inflorescences per lateral branch.

Flower response.—Under natural season conditions, plants flower in late September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower surface of phyllaries): Close to 147A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height): About 8 mm. Disc diameter: No disc florets observed. Receptacle diameter: About 3 mm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 1.7 cm. Corolla tube length: About 2.5 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Surface: Mostly flat. Orientation: Initially upright, then perpendicular to vertical. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 82 in numerous whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 155D overlain with close to 58A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155D underlain with close to 58A.

Disc florets.—None observed.

Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20. Length: About 3 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.

Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 2.1 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 4.5 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther color: 9A. Pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.

Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Chrysanthemums.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from 0 to more than 38° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zesty Yovictoria’, as illustrated and described. 